Daniel best



Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

H =fi\ NITED STATES DANIEL BEST, OF ALBANY, OREGON.

GRAIN- CLEANER.

$PECIFICA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 813,911, dated March 17, 1885.

Application filed June 20, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL BEST, of the city of Albany, in the county of Linn and State of Oregomhave invented an Improvement in Grain-Cleaners; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates. to certain improvements in secondary grain-cleaners, such as are usually employed in connection with thrasl1 ing-machines and separators for the purpose of completing the cleaning on a large scale and in asingle continuous operation of grain which has already been partially cleaned in the separator.

It consists of an attachment to receive the grain which has been blown or carried to a point near the discharge end of the riddles of the machine, and which, falling through these riddles, is received in a transverse spout at the bottom. In my invention this spout discharges into a conveyer, by which this lighter grain maybe either discharged into the spout which brings the grain from the separator or into the elevator which carries the grain upward and discharges it into the hopper at the top of the machine, or when seed-wheat is being cleaned the'discharge from this spout may be conveyed away into sacks so as to be again returned into the apparatus.

Referring to the accompanying drawing for a more complete explanation of my invention, the figure is a view showing a portion of the secondary cleaner, the elevator, and the chute through which grain is brought from the separator or thrashing-machine to the cleaner and my attachment.

When grain is being thrashed and cleaned upon alarge scale, as in the ordinary thrashers and separators'which are used in the field, the cleaning is imperfectly done, and in order to render the grain marketable it is now customary to employ large secondary cleaners, which are so connected with the thrashing-machine that the grain, after passing through the cleaning apparatus of the thrasher, is allowed to fall through a spout and into a receiver situated at one side of the secondary cleaner near the ground, from which the grain is carried up by the elevator and discharged into a hopper at the top of the cleaner, passing thence over the riddles and sieves, by which a perfeet cleaning is effected. The larger portion of the cleaned grain will descend through that portion of the riddles nearest the fans, and, falling through them upon screens or sieves below, is directed to the proper discharge angers or spouts. A considerable quantity of grain, which may be somewhat lighter or for other reasons, is carried toward the rear end of the riddles, where it passes through them and is received into a spout which carries it to one side and discharges it. Much of this grain is valuable and may be saved without further laborif it can be again returned to the cleaning apparatus. In order to do this I prefer to mix it with the grain which is being brought into the machine, so as not to discharge a large body of this quality of grain into the cleaner in a mass.

In the drawing, A is the frame of the cleaner; B, the hopper at the top, into which the grain is discharged from the elevator C, within which elevating-buckets are caused to travel upward by the usual or any suitable connection.

D is the receiver, into which the buckets dip and load themselves. Grain is brought into this receiver through a spout or chute, E,when the machine is connected with a thrashing machine, and a constant supply is thus kept up. The grain which falls through the rear end of the riddles of the secondary or auxiliary cleaning-machine is conveyed by an adjustable return-board into the spout F,which discharges it at one side of the machine. In order to return thisgrain to be again passed through the cleaningmachine, I fix a spout or tube, G, beneath the discharge end of the spout F, so that the grain may fall into its upper end. This spout is preferably made somewhat smaller at its lower end than at the top, and one side is secured to the side of the elevatorspout G by a link or staple, H, the other side may be connected by a rod, I, so that the lower end of the spout may be moved about from side to side, while the upper end remains in position to receive the discharge from the spout F. \Vhen the grain is to be returned to the machine, the lower end of the tube G discharges into the spout which brings the grain from the thrashing-machine, so that the grain from the spout G will be mixed with that which is being brought to the machine, and will thus be distributed through the entire mass as it is delivered into the hopper B. This causes it to be more completely cleaned and saved than if it were discharged into the hopper in a body by itself.

When seed-wheat is to be cleaned, it is only desired to save the finest of the wheat. It is therefore not desirable to return any of this lighter grain which has passed through the rear end of the riddles, and the tube G is therefore swung around, so that its lower end will discharge outside of the receiver D, over I 5 the edges of which it may project, and the grain from it may be received into sacks and carried away.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a secondary or auxiliary grain-cleaner, the combination of the machine-frame, a receiving-hopper at the top thereof, a series of riddles or screens, an elevator by which grain received at the bottom of the machine is delivered into the hopper at the top, a dischargespout, F, for the grain which falls through the rear portion of the riddles, and a cut-off spout, G, by which the grain may at will be mingled with the supply brought to the elevator or discharged exterior to it, as described.

2. In a grain-cleaner, the combination of the riddles, elevator G, the discharge-spout F for grain which passes through the rear portion of the riddles, and a supplemental spout or chute, G, having its upper end hinged or supported so as to receive the discharge from the spout F, while its lower end is free to be directed into the supply-spout or receiver or exterior to it, as herein described.

3. The combination, with the spout F and the elevator, of the tube or spout G, having its upper end hinged to the side of the elevator so as to receive the discharge from the spout F and its lower end freeto be directed into the supply-spout or receiver of the elevator o exterior thereto, as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DANIEL BEsr.

Witnesses:

E. W. SKEL'roN, J. H. BLOOD. 

